Vented container and lid

ABSTRACT

A vented container comprising an open-topped container and a lid applied to the open top of the container, the lid being sealed to the container wall at a circumferential zone except that at at least one localized portion of said circumferential zone the lid is spaced from the container wall to permit vapor to pass upwardly through said circumferential zone, the lid above said circumferential zone cooperating with the container wall to confine liquid but having vent means for venting to the outside vapor which has passed upwardly through said circumferential zone. The lid is preferably shaped to lie in contact with the container wall throughout a lower circumferential zone and an upper circumferential zone providing a vapor receiving annulus between said zones, except that at at least one localized portion of the lower circumferential zone the lid is spaced from the container wall to permit vapor to pass upwardly through the lower circumferential zone into the vapor receiving annulus, and vent means are provided for venting to the outside vapor from the vapor receiving annulus. Desirably the lid lies in normal contact with the container wall throughout the upper circumferential zone but is distendable to permit vapor from the vapor receiving annulus to pass upwardly through the upper circumferential zone. The lid preferably has a vent hole to the outside above the upper circumferential zone.

United States Patent 1 Fulton ,llan.7,l975

[ VENTED CONTAINER AND LID Edward W. Fulton, Exton, Pa.

[73] Assignee: The Alan I W Frank Corporation,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

221 Filed: Dec. 12, 1972 211 Appl. No.: 314,292

[75] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl 220/306 6/1957 Canada 220/60 R Primary ExaminerWilliam 1.Price Assistant Examiner-Bruce H. Bernstein Attorney, Agent, orFirm-Edward Hoopes, III

[57] ABSTRACT A vented container comprising an open-topped container anda lid applied'to the open top of the container, the lid being sealed tothe container wall at a circumferential zone except that at at least onelocalized portion of said circumferential zone the lid is spaced fromthe container wall to permit vapor to pass upwardly through saidcircumferential zone, the lid above said circumferential zonecooperating with the container wall to confine liquid but having ventmeans for venting to the outside vapor which has passed upwardly throughsaid circumferential zone. The lid is preferably shaped to lie incontact with the container wall throughout a lower circumferential zoneand an upper circumferential zone providing a vapor receiving annulusbetween said zones, except that at at least one localized portion of thelower circumferential zone the lid is spaced from the container wall topermit vapor to pass upwardly through the lower circumferential zoneinto the vapor receiving annulus, and vent means are provided forventing to the outside vapor from the vapor receiving annulus. Desirablythe lid lies in normal contact with the container wall throughout theuppercircumferential zone but is distendable to permit vapor from thevapor receiving annulus to pass upwardly through the uppercircumferential zone. The lid preferably has a vent hole to the outsideabove the upper circumferential zone.

6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 7 I975 SHEET 10F 2 ll .VENTEDCONTAINER AND LID This invention relates to a vented container and lid.The invention has especial utility in a container and lid for take-outbeverages such as hot coffee which may emit steam. The container issubstantially closed to confine liquid but the lid is shaped to ventvapor such as steam to the outside.

I may accomplish the advantages of the invention by utilizing aconventional container with a nonconventional lid. The lid is shaped toconfine liquid in the container even against sloshing whan a containerfilled with liquid such as coffee is being carried yet provides forventing of vapor or steam. I provide a vented container comprising anopen-topped container and a lid applied to the open top of thecontainer, the lid being sealed to the container wall at acircumferential zone except that at least one localized portion of saidcircumferential zone the lid is spaced from the container wall to permitvapor to pass upwardly through said circumferential zone, the lid abovesaid circumferential zone cooperating with the container wall to confineliquid but having vent means for venting to the outside vapor which haspassed upwardly through said circumferential zone. The lid is preferablyshaped to lie in contact with the container wall throughout a lowercircumferential zone and an upper circumferential zone providing a vaporreceiving annulus between said zones, except that at least one localizedportion of the lower circumferential zone the lid is spaced from thecontainer wall to permit vapor to pass upwardly through the lowercircumferential zone into the vapor receiving annulus, and vent meansare provided for venting to the outside vapor from the vapor receivingannulus. Desirably the lid lies in normal contact with the containerwall throughout the upper circumferential zone but is distendable topermit vapor from the vapor receiving annulus to pass upwardly throughthe upper circumferential zone. The lid preferably has a vent hole tothe outside above the upper circumferential zone.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent as the following description of a present preferred embodimentof the invention proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a present preferred embodimentof the invention in which FIG. 1 is an isometric fragmentary view of avented container and lid embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan viewto enlarged scale and with a portion cut awayof the lid shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the lid taken on the linelllIlI of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of the containerand lid, the portion of the lid shown in FIG. 4 being taken on the lineIVIV of FIG.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the containerand lid, the portion of the lid shown in FIG. 5 being taken on the lineVV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view partly in plan and partly in horizontalcross section on the line VIVI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the containerand lid, the portion of the lid shown in FIG. 7 being taken on the lineVII-VII of FIG. 2; and- FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view partly in plan andpartly in horizontal cross section on the line VIIIVIII of FIG. 7.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2designates an open-topped container which may be of conventional form.The container shown is circular in cross section and tapers somewhat tomaximum diameter at the top. Its bottom may be of any construction,having nothing to do with the invention. The container, as well as thelid, may be made of any suitable material, such as polystyrene. Thethickness of the container wall may vary widely depending on theintended use of the container. The wall of the container shown in thedrawings may be of the order of one-tenth inch. The container wall hasan inner annular shoulder 3 and in the form shown the thickness of thecontainer wall is greater below the shoulder than above the shoulder.The top rim of the container may be rounded as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7and may terminate in a small external shoulder 4.

The lid in the form shown has a body portion 5 which may be flatspanning the mouth of the container. The body portion 5 meets at rightangles a substantially vertical annular portion 6 which merges into anupwardly and inwardly inclined annular portion 7. The upwardly andinwardly inclined annular portion 7 merges into a substantially verticalportion 8 throughout part of its peripheral extent. Throughout that partof the peripheral extent of the upwardly and inwardly inclined annularportion 7 the substantially vertical portion 8 meets at right angles asubstantially horizontal annular portion 9 as shown in FIG. 4 and at theright in FIG. 3. Elsewhere about the peripheral extent of the portion 7such portion itself meets the substantially horizontal annular portion 9as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 and at the left in FIG. 3. The substantiallyhorizontal annular por tion 9 meets an annular U-shaped portion 10 whichfits over the top rim of the container. A slit vent I1 is formed in theportion III of the lid as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 7 and 8.

The lid is sealed to the container wall at the shoulder 3 as shown inFIG. 4 except that at least one localized portion of the shoulder 3 thelid is spaced from the shoulder as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 to permitvapor to pass upwardly past the shoulder 3 into a vapor receivingannulus or annular space 12. In the form shown the lid is spaced fromthe shoulder 3 at four localized por tions of the shoulder spaced apartat equal intervals peripherally of the lid. The lid above the shoulder 3of the container cooperates with the container wall to confine liquidbut has vent means, shown as in the form of the slit vent III, forventing to the outside vapor which has passed upwardly into the vaporreceiving annulus 12.

The lid is shaped to lie in contact with the container wall throughout alower circumferential zone at the shoulder 3 and an uppercircumferential zone above the vapor receiving annulus 12 at 13 exceptthat, as above explained, at least one localized portion of the shoulder3 the lid is spaced therefrom to permit vapor to pass upwardly into thevapor receiving annulus 12. The lid lies in normal contact with thecontainer wall at 13 throughout the periphery of the container wall butis distendable due to vapor pressure to permit vapor from the vaporreceiving annulus to pass upwardly between the container wall and thelid and out through the vent 11.

While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of theinvention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is notlimited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scopeof the following claims.

I claim:

1. A vented polystyrene container comprising an open-topped containerand a separate lid applied to the open top of the container, the lidbeing shaped to lie in contact with the container wall throughout alower circumferential zone and an upper circumferential zone providing avapor receiving annulus between said zones, except that at least onelocalized portion of the lower circumferential zone the lid is spacedfrom the container wall to permit vapor to pass upwardly through thelower circumferential zone into the vapor receiving annulus, vent meansbeing provided for venting to the outside vapor from the vapor receivingannulus, the separate lid lying in face-to-face contact with thecontainer wall throughout the upper circumferential zone but beingdistendable to permit vapor from the vapor receiving annulus to passupwardly through the upper circumferential zone.

2. A vented polystyrene container as claimed in claim 1 in which theseparate lid has a vent hole to the outside above the uppercircumferential zone.

3. A polystyrene lid for an open-topped polystyrene container separatefrom the container having a part fitting over the lip of the containerand a part lying opposite the container wall below the lip, the secondmentioned part having a circumferential zone adapted to be sealed to thecontainer wall except that at least one localized portion of saidcircumferential zone the second mentioned part is shaped to provide aspace between such part and the container wall to permit vapor to passupwardly therethrough, the second mentioned part of the lid above saidcircumferential zone being shaped to lie in face-to-face contact withthe container wall to confine liquid, but the lid having means forventing to the outside vapor which has passed upwardly through saidspace at said circumferential zone.

4. A polystyrene lid for an open-topped polystyrene container separatefrom the container shaped to contact the container wall throughout alower circumferential zone and an upper circumferential zone providing avapor receiving annulus between said zones. except that at least onelocalized portion of the lower circumferential zone the lid is shaped tobe spaced from the container wall to permit vapor to pass upwardlythrough the lower circumferential zone into the vapor receiving annulus,the lid having vent means for venting to the outside vapor from thevapor receiving annulus.

5. A polystyrene lid for an open-topped polystyrene container separatefrom the container as claimed in claim 4 in which the lid is shaped tolie in face-to-face contact with the container wall throughout the uppercircumferential zone but is distendable to permit vapor from the vaporreceiving annulus to pass upwardly through the upper circumferentialzone.

6. A polystyrene lid for an open-topped polystyrene container separatefrom the container as claimed in claim 5 in which the lid has a venthole to the outside above the upper circumferential zone.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 858 6Dated January 1975 Inventor(s) LDWARD W. FULTON It is certified thaterror appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

At each of Column 1, line 18, Column 1, line 29,

Column 2, line 45, Column 2, line 61, Column 3, line 34, and Column 4,line 15, change "at least one" to --at at least one-. 5

Signed and Scaled this nineteenth D GI A ugusf 1 9 75 [SEAL] AIIQSI.

RUTH- C. MdSON C. MARSHALL DANN .4 Ireslmg ()jjlcer (mnmissiu-m roj'Palenrs and Tradvmurkx -ORM PO-10 uscoMM-Dc 60376-P69 '3' U.$.GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: I955 0-355-33

1. A vented polystyrene container comprising an open-topped containerand a separate lid applied to the open top of the container, the lidbeing shaped to lie in contact with the container wall throughout alower circumferential zone and an upper circumferential zone providing avapor receiving annulus between said zones, except that at least onelocalized portion of the lower circumferential zone the lid is spacedfrom the container wall to permit vapor to pass upwardly through thelower circumferential zone into the vapor receiving annulus, vent meansbeing provided for venting to the outside vapor from the vapor receivingannulus, the separate lid lying in face-to-face contact with thecontainer wall throughout the upper circumferential zone but beingdistendable to permit vapor from the vapor receiving annulus to passupwardly through the upper circumferential zone.
 2. A vented polystyrenecontainer as claimed in claim 1 in which the separate lid has a venthole to the outside above the upper circumferential zone.
 3. Apolystyrene lid for an open-topped polystyrene container separate fromthe container having a part fitting over the lip of the container and apart lying opposite the container wall below the lip, the secondmentioned part having a circumferential zone adapted to be sealed to thecontainer wall except that at least one localized portion of saidcircumferential zone the second mentioned part is shaped to provide aspace between such part and the container wall to permit vapor to passupwardly therethrough, the second mentioned part of the lid above saidcircumferential zone being shaped to lie in face-to-face contact withthe container wall to confine liquid, but the lid having means forventing to the outside vapor which has passed upwardly through saidspace at said circumferential zone.
 4. A polystyrene lid for anopen-topped polystyrene container separate from the container shaped tocontact the container wall throughout a lower circumferential zone andan upper circumferential zone providing a vapor receiving annulusbetween said zones, except that at least one localized portion of thelower circumferential zone the lid is shaped to be spaced from thecontainer wall to permit vapor to pass upwardly through the lowercircumferential zone into the vapor receiving annulus, the lid havingvent means for venting to the outside vapor from the vapor receivingannulus.
 5. A polystyrene lid for an open-topped polystyrene containerseparate from the container as claimed in claim 4 in which the lid isshaped to lie in face-to-face contact with the container wall throughoutthe upper circumferential zone but is distendable to permit vapor fromthe vapor receiving annulus to pass upwardly through the uppercircumferential zone.
 6. A polystyrene lid for an open-toppedpolystyrene container separate from the container as claimed in claim 5in which the lid has a vent hole to the outside above the uppercircumferential zone.